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Warehouse operations no longer allow for “business as usual” practices. New initiatives and strategic investments in capital improvements will lead to greater returns in productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Investing in the latest materials handling equipment, WMS technology, and physical building improvements will result in a fully integrated distribution center.

Implementing material handling automation within a distribution center requires an experienced systems integration, which acts as a matchmaker to ensure the software communicates fully and freely with the facility’s equipment.

Rising consumer expectations are driving change throughout the supply chain. And there’s no tougher test for meeting increased expectations than Black Friday. The time is now for warehouse managers to examine the three critical success factors in warehouse labor management.

Through automated, rules-based wave management and replenishment, American Hotel Register Company was able to eliminate manual sortation and create multiple, tailored options to proactively release orders by type.

If there’s one lesson that we’ve learned from fine bourbon or whiskey, it’s that good things come to those who wait. Distilleries know this better than anyone. But when it’s time to get that product out the door and in the hands of distributors, the last thing a distiller wants to do is wait.

Investments in pick/put-to-light technology, wearables, robotic AGVs, high-speed conveyors, voice-directed picking, and a warehouse control system equate to an automated, smart, and efficient distribution center.

When a merger required Nature’s Way to consolidate distribution facilities, it called on the services of system supplier The Numina Group for a new design and technologies. Today, the facility successfully distributes products to customers in 50 states, and overseas through five supply chain channels.

Smart companies carefully select and intelligently apply automation not only to boost productivity, but also to turn the distribution center into a competitive weapon, writes Mick Mountz of Kiva Systems Inc.

When the time arrives to consider investing in additional space, many distribution centers, retailers and businesses dependent on warehouses face a dilemma: should the organization move to a new facility, build an addition, or try to retrofit an older warehouse? And, in the case of a retrofit or addition, what can be done to make an aging or existing warehouse space more suitable?

Today, software underpins many warehouse functions, giving leaders a new source of productivity and efficiency insights—and a new concern for corporate security. Here’s how to boost all three: productivity, efficiency, and security.

Brian C. Neuwirth of UNEX Manufacturing reveals how to boost warehouse productivity with improved order picking processes, better organization, and greater efficiencies in order to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.

Staffing is key to a warehouse’s ability to grow and manage a large and sometimes multi-state workforce. Here’s how to perform your due diligence on your staffing providers to ensure that you are minimizing your exposure to potential issues.

Getting a distribution center in shape for a high-volume holiday or seasonal period requires advance planning to make sure all systems work, the facility is properly staffed, and temporary workers are properly trained. Inbound Logistics asked the experts for their holiday preparation advice; they provided these seven commandments that will light the way.

Distributors continue to play a valuable role within many supply chains. At the same time, changing business models, and especially the rise of e-commerce, are prompting many to enhance the services they offer.

Slotting – determining the locations of your SKUs in your warehouse – used to be an easy concept. But in the new world of warehousing focusing exclusively to a large degree on e-commerce sales, this is no longer simple.

The deal comes at a critical time for the Silicon Valley-based electric car company, as it prepares for Model 3 production and readies to face one of the largest growth phases in the company’s history.

Aaron Leach is senior director of supply chain with Wayne Farms, LLC, in Oakwood, Ga. He has held this position since 2013. Wayne Farms is the sixth largest vertically integrated producer and processor of poultry in the United States.

Distribution centers (DCs) play a key role in the overall success of each peak season, as supply chain professionals must meet the surge in consumer demand and fulfill orders efficiently. Here are 10 ways to help you identify and fill seasonal needs of distribution centers.

The winter of 2013-14 disrupted the intermodal shipping industry in North America, causing service problems and impeding growth. However, intermodal now offers a number of attractive advantages for shippers, particularly as rail operations pour resources into their intermodal efforts to strengthen service and compete with trucking. Sites that specialize in intermodal utilize innovations to streamline the process and apply new resources to make for an increasingly efficient and effective distribution process.

Oregon-based manufacturer Blount International was bleeding money from leaks all across its supply chain. It found that the correct application of the right data management technology provided and maintained by the right partner was the solution to the problem.

With the growth of e-commerce, retailers have identified a potential opportunity to reduce working capital by thinning inventory at brick-and-mortar stores—opting instead to maintain major portions of inventory at distribution centers upstream.

Supply chain logistics companies view veterans as a crucial pool of potential employees, and consequently they are using a range of methods to recruit and hire former members of the military for their workforces.

East Coast Warehouse & Distribution’s strategic port location brings both advantages and challenges. Its facility keeps supply chains rocking, serving as the crucial first step in importers’ distribution systems in the United States, through port delays and even Superstorm Sandy.

When Thermo Fisher Scientific wanted to improve worker safety in its bioproducts cold chain warehouse, it developed a novel deli-door solution that reduced the number of pickers in the cold storage and freezer spaces, dramatically improved picking safety and efficiency, and created more product storage space.

A connected warehouse maximizes warehouse efficiency, as well as positions a company to decisively navigate constant changes across the supply chain. Real-time data intelligence delivers the visibility and control needed to effect measurable improvements.

Good data assists fleet managers in budgeting short- and long-term costs, determining correct fleet size, and evaluating whether to lease or buy new equipment. Use these tips to get the most out lift truck fleet data.

Nutrabolt’s rapid growth created several logistics challenges, including processing orders efficiently and quickly; absorbing dramatic swings in order volumes to support promotional campaigns; and providing omni-channel fulfillment through a single warehouse. A third-party logistics partnership with Kane Is Able helped Nutrabolt meet these challenges.

Supply management professionals are increasingly accepting cross-functional cooperation in purchasing, supply management, production and inventory control to optimize overall company performance and increase competitiveness.

Determining the best location for a new or expanding business in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace is challenging. These locations offer a number of advantages when it comes to meeting today’s logistics and supply chain needs.

An order management system from DF Young and Superior Technology helps Cintron Beverage Company boost inventory accuracy, fulfill orders easily and quickly, and track products throughout the supply chain.

Technology management can affect warehouse operations’ connectivity during and after a power outage. Whether the facility’s warehouse management system (WMS) is installed on-site, delivered via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) program, or hosted in the cloud can have a huge impact on maintaining productivity, writes John Sterling of Foxfire Software.

Online retailers seeking new sites for DCs and warehouses need the transportation infrastructure to support a constant, rapid-fire flow of shipments – plus a capable workforce, affordable utilities, and business incentives to help them get the most from their investment.

Parties storing goods in warehouses need to be alert to liens on their goods, writes Ron Leibman of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland, & Perretti LLP. To avoid unpleasant surprises, both parties to a warehousing agreement must understand their rights and the documents that cover their transactions.

Schwan’s Home Services optimized its distribution network by using a hybrid insourced/outsourced model; and Sun-Maid Growers of California used collaborative distribution to create better economies of scale in its transportation operations.

Continuous e-commerce growth has prompted an increasing number of retailers to use third-party logistics (3PL) providers for handling their direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Jeffrey B. Graves of Sedlak Management Consultants explains that for retail logistics executives, assessing 3PL capabilities that best fit their company’s requirements can be a challenge, yet critical for optimum return on investment (ROI)

Savvy distribution and supply chain managers should be looking at sortation and its related disciplines as a means of addressing problems and achieving savings, writes Jay Moris of Invata Intralogistics.

By working together to align the processes by which shippers tender freight and carriers receive it, supply chain partners can achieve greater efficiency at the loading dock while improving safety, quality, performance, and margins for all stakeholders.

Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) can be an efficient materials handling option for warehouses and distribution centers, but they are not right for every facility. Norm Saenz, senior vice president and principal, TranSystems Corporation, offers advice on deciding if AS/RS is right for your facility.

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Catalent upgraded its Philadelphia packaging center’s high-bay warehouse with an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) served by three aisle-changing stacker cranes developed by LTW Intralogistics.

Mexico-based automotive glassmaker Vitro Automotive opened a distribution center in the United States to serve Detroit automakers just-in-time requirements. Its long-time logistics service provider Evans Distribution Systems staffed the new DC for Vitro to ensure a quality workforce.

Thanks to e-commerce, many distribution centers are now fulfilling a greater number of smaller orders – rendering conventional materials handling automation systems somewhat outdated. Is flexible automation the next frontier?

RFID technologies allow computers, objects, and individuals to interact in new ways, supplying logistics providers and materials handlers with predictable and actionable data to enhance their service offerings and operations, explains Ravi Pappu of ThingMagic.

Colgate took more than four million miles out of its network while handling five percent more cases of product – and even managed to cut logistics costs, sharing the savings with customers and suppliers.

Amazon closes Texas distribution facility over sales tax dispute; Robert Guenther of United Fresh Produce Association comments on FDA Food Safety Modernization Act; U.S. General Services Administration rolls out green guidelines for government suppliers; Crossdocking use is on the rise

Industrial property developers are cultivating greener distribution facilities and nurturing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards compliance. The bounty? A harvest of benefits for their tenants.

For shipping and receiving, there are three types of pallet programs: single-use or one-way, extended-use or buy/sell, and leasing or rental. Hillary Femal of IFCO Systems describes the uses and benefits of each type.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers lack the scale to ship in full truckloads, creating thousands of separate, inefficient lines of supply—all moving to the same mass retailers. Collaborative distribution reduces the number of trucks on the road and cuts distribution costs.

Modernizing your distribution business isn’t just about adopting the latest and greatest technology. From seamless scalability to cost-efficiency to tax benefits, the right solutions can pave the way to significant results.

According to a recent report by CBRE, the average U.S. warehouse is about 34 years old. While this may seem relatively “young”, in our digitally-transformed world, any 34-year-old technology is practically a senior citizen. What’s more, within retail, the last five years has seen the rise of eCommerce as a preferred shopping method for consumers. It’s no surprise that the same CBRE report notes that U.S. warehouses are currently under significant strain to keep up with demand.

Manufacturers and wholesale distributors are optimistic about the perceived impact of the Trump administration’s plans for trade deregulation on their businesses, according to new research commissioned by business software provider Exact.

More warehouses are moving “eaches” as well as traditional pallet orders, and facing ever-increasing demands for speed. To manage the diverse product flows in a timely manner, shippers are bringing different technologies to their warehouses, including robotics and robust warehouse management systems. They’re also supplementing mammoth warehouses with smaller “micro-centers” that they can locate closer to population centers.

Mobile weighing technologies meet the emerging “need for speed” trend by providing a means of weighment at the point of loading and unloading. They do this while at the same time immediately communicating a wealth of specific business and logistical data, eliminating inefficient traffic patterns, and improving safety by reducing traffic congestion.

On-demand services are becoming so much a part of our daily lives that millennials can't imagine a world before Uber or Postmates. Now, on-demand service is becoming a reality in the logistics real estate sector.

Here are some warehouse operations moves—some small steps, some not—companies can do to boost their bottom lines and improve customer satisfaction, including layout and organization, docking, picking and receiving, fulfillment, and packaging.

In the rush to satisfy ever-increasing demands for speed and efficiency, and the clarion calls to deliver your best customer experience, supply chain managers need to consider that impact on the worker experience.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized the Safe Quality Food (SQF) rule as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2016. Even though SQF compliance isn’t federally mandated, the repercussions of failure to comply can be felt throughout the supply chain.

Many shippers rely on the Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) in which the supplier alerts you of pending deliveries. You may see a product name, a PO#, and select dates, but the ASN does not contain the details that receiving or warehouse management needs. There is a better way.

When the time arrives to consider investing in additional space, many distribution centers, retailers and businesses dependent on warehouses face a dilemma: should the organization move to a new facility, build an addition, or try to retrofit an older warehouse? And, in the case of a retrofit or addition, what can be done to make an aging or existing warehouse space more suitable?

Even after adding a third production shift to its foundry, Lodge Manufacturing Company couldn’t manufacture enough cast-iron cookware to fill orders. To meet demand, the family-owned business in southern Tennessee invested $85 million in a second foundry, a modern 212,000-square-foot distribution center, and the company’s first warehouse management system, mobe3 from EVS.

Here are some warehouse operations moves—some small steps, some not—companies can do to boost their bottom lines and improve customer satisfaction, including layout and organization, docking, picking and receiving, fulfillment, and packaging.

Warehouse management systems provide organizations with a boost to their operations and help them keep up with the growing demands of their customers and partners. Still, implementing a WMS is a complex process that requires extensive planning, study and patience. Experts point to a number of key factors to consider when shopping for a system for your organization.

A majority of consumers have moved on to online shopping. According to a report by eMarketer Retail, in 2017, retail ecommerce sales worldwide increased by 25% over the previous year. What has really helped boost e-commerce, is the convenience of quick delivery. This adds to the purchase experience that is vital for sustaining customers over the long term. This is possible only when the retail operations are driven by technology integration and automation, across its entire supply chain.

Even after adding a third production shift to its foundry, Lodge Manufacturing Company couldn’t manufacture enough cast-iron cookware to fill orders. To meet demand, the family-owned business in southern Tennessee invested $85 million in a second foundry, a modern 212,000-square-foot distribution center, and the company’s first warehouse management system, mobe3 from EVS.

This story looks at some of the trends and challenges associated with e-commerce today, and strategies for dealing with those challenges, through the eyes of one small retailer, one medium-sized and one large.

Getting a distribution center in shape for a high-volume holiday or seasonal period requires advance planning to make sure all systems work, the facility is properly staffed, and temporary workers are properly trained. Inbound Logistics asked the experts for their holiday preparation advice; they provided these seven commandments that will light the way.